Oyster Barrier Tailgating

How do ticket/oyster barriers at train stations detect that someone has walked through?

I always thought they worked on a timer - so you only had 5 seconds or so walk through after you've touched out.

But i noticed a strange behaving fellow yesterday tailgate through the barrier without touching out by covering a sensor of some type on the otherside of the gate.

Is this some kind of light sensor that detects when you've walked through?
If so ill walk through the barriers in my own sweet time from now on - will stop tailgaters also.

Yes to the sensor. But they might also be timed so your plan will fail.

ride a fucking bike and you dont have to freeload on someones oyster card

i'm not really advocating milking off an already massively under-funded public transport system but...

my gf works with homeless people so she knows all about these cunning ways. the best way to do it (if that's your cuppa cha) is to use a couple of free papers that they hold one in each hand and push forwards as someone goes through the barrier. if you get it right, you can trick the sensor into thinking that the person in front is reeeeeallly long/slow/fat and the barrier gates don't close.

mum's the word...

bring oyster card into contact with card reader.

optical sensor which closes gate when beam broken by passenger passing through is sensed again as they move through. makes scamming the gate pretty simple. see this fairly often in central london, being done by teens. fair goes if they can get away with it.

last person who tried that with me got a metal portfolio case smacked in their knees (as i abruptly stopped as soon as i was clear of the gates)

i'm not paying for scrotes to get a free ride.

Last time that happened to me, I flipped out and killed everyone in the whole town. With a spoon.

Children travel free on the underground. It is sometimes unavoidable, at unmanned stations, for me and Will to have to go for the tailgating option.

i lost my oystercard and got caught in them once, really hurts

Why two free papers?

Would you just need one to break the beam?

i'm not really advocating milking off an already massively under-funded public transport system but...

my gf works with homeless people so she knows all about these cunning ways. the best way to do it (if that's your cuppa cha) is to use a couple of free papers that they hold one in each hand and push forwards as someone goes through the barrier. if you get it right, you can trick the sensor into thinking that the person in front is reeeeeallly long/slow/fat and the barrier gates don't close.

mum's the word...

Someone tailgated me through the barriers on the train platforms at Victoria, about a second later a guy in plain clothes asked to see his ticket/oyster and waved some uniformed transport officers over. Very swift, looked like he just was standing near the barriers looking down the platform to meet someone.

^ very spooks. did the tailgater have a swarthy complexion and a backpack?

Last time that happened to me, I flipped out and killed everyone in the whole town. With a spoon.

Was it a rusty spoon?

Was it a rusty spoon?

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:BHi15r7yoNuutM:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/Lonesome_Despair/salad_fingers.jpg&t=1

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:BHi15r7yoNuutM:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/Lonesome_Despair/salad_fingers.jpg&t=1

What is that... other than scary...

What is that... other than scary...

Like oldskool internetz and stuffs
http://www.fat-pie.com/salad.htm

Apparently only certain certificated guards are allowed to give out fines.
These are not the same as guards that sell you tickets or work the barriers.

The train company can't hold you against your will - so if you tell the barrier operator that you like to leave they have to let you through.

I've only tried this once though.

ride a fucking bike and you dont have to freeload on someones oyster card

enough said..

Me and my mates used to do this all the time. Bit old for it now though....

Me and my mates used to do this all the time. Bit old for it now though....

what ride a bike to stop having to freeload on someone elses oyster?

Yes James we get around on mountain bikes now, my cousin keeps givin them to us for free init.

Why two free papers?

Would you just need one to break the beam?

i think you can use one paper but it's best to get both 'ends' because that way it's a more reliable technique.

i'd just go for the 'use a bike' option, myself though. save money and get mighty thighs and buns. everyone's a winner.

I can't believe anyone doesn't know about the little optical sensors. I mean, what were you doling when you were a teenager?*

*actually when I was a teenager I used to favour stations with people rather than barriers, and was constantly doctoring the date hand-stamped on my travelcard. I had a whole stack of them that I could choose from to doctor easily and also would use ones that were the right date but a year off and stupid stuff like that, or a month out, and just change the 5 of may to be 6 for June. I'm sure they knew and just didn't give a shit.

I can't believe anyone doesn't know about the little optical sensors. I mean, what were you doling when you were a teenager?*

*actually when I was a teenager I used to favour stations with people rather than barriers, and was constantly doctoring the date hand-stamped on my travelcard. I had a whole stack of them that I could choose from to doctor easily and also would use ones that were the right date but a year off and stupid stuff like that, or a month out, and just change the 5 of may to be 6 for June. I'm sure they knew and just didn't give a shit.

Glory days Skully